Two-way screwdrivers and the like tools



M y 1 1967 M. BLANGER TWO-WAY SCREWDRIVERS AND THE LIKE TOOLS Filed Jan. 21, 1966 .5 F9 INVENMA Near/2e AHA/Vail? Q PA 72W? AGENT United States Patent 3,319,676 TWO-WAY SCREWDRIVERS AND THE LIKE TOOLS Maurice Blanger, P.0. Box 73, LIslet, Quebec, Canada Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,163 6 Claims. (Cl. 145-64) The present invention relates to a manual rotary tool such as a screwdriver, socket wrench and the like, of the type comprising a stem having a handle and means at one end for coupling the stem to an element to be rotated, such as a screw.

The conventional screwdriver is generally designed for driving screws having a certain size and type of head. In order to drive screws having the same type of head, but of different diameters, it is usually necessary to use another screwdriver and the latter is not always readily accessible.

There already exist on the the market screwdrivers comprising a hollow handle for housing a pluraliy of screwd'riving stems in order to drive screws of diiferent sizes and different head types. These stems are selectively removably secured to one end of the handle. These screwdrivers are of relatively expensive construction and each stem is generally provided with only one blade and, therefore, only serves for one size of screw and of the same type.

The general object of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary manual tool comprising a stem and a handle and characterized by the fact that the stem is provided at its two ends with coupling means of different sizes or types, such as blades, socket wrench and the like, whereby one or the other of the two ends may be used for driving screws or other elements of different sizes or types.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a tool of the character described, such as a screwdriver, which can be easily converted for driving screws of different sizes.

Yet another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a tool of the character described, which, in one or the other of its two operative positions, can resist to torques which are as high as the torque resisted by a screwdriver of the same size wherein the handle and stem are rigidly secured one to the other.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a screwdriver of the character described, which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become clearer by referring to the following disclosure and annexed drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the screwdriver made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the stem of the screwdriver;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section, taken along line 44 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section, taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2, FIGURES 4 and 5 being on an enlarged scale.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the rotary manual tool in accordance with the invention is shown in the form of a screwdriver, but could be any other manual rotary tool, such as a socket wrench for screwing bolts and the like.

The tool in accordance with the invention comprises a stem 1 and a handle 2. Stem 1 has an elongated shape and is provided at its two ends with blades 3 and 4, of

3,319,676 Patented May 16, 1967 different width and thickness, for driving screws of different diameters.

Stem 1 has a circular cross-section provided with a longitudinal keyway 5, the ends 6 and 7 of which are located adjacent blades 3 and 4 respectively.

The ends of keyway 5 define shoulders with the external surface of the stem 1. The lateral faces 9 and 10 of blades 3 and 4 are converging towards the end of the stern whereby the blade does not protrude laterally radially with respect to the cylindrical surface of the stem.

Handle 2 comprises an external handle portion 15 having an internal lining 11, in the form of a cylindrical metal tube or sleeve, which terminates short of the handle portion 15. The protruding ends 12 and 13 of the handle portion 15 are provided with inner screw threads. Sleeve 11 has, in approximately the center thereof, a longitudinal slot 14.

External handle portion 15 is preferably made of synthetic resin such as in conventional screwdrivers, this portion 15 rigidly adhering to the sleeve 11 and completely surrounding the latter.

Exterior portion 15 defines a central cylindrical section provided with longitudinal grooves 16 and the ends of portion 13 are identically shaped defining frusto-conical surfaces 17 and 18.

The frusto-conical surfaces 17 and 18 are each provided with diametrically opposed longitudinal extending slots 17' and 13 respectively, the bottoms of which are substantially parallel to the long axis of the handle.

A key 19, in the shape of a metal'plate, is-embedded within the synthetic resin of exterior handle portion 15 of handle 2 and passes through the slot 14 of sleeve 11 and protrudes within keyway 5 of stem 1 in order to prevent any rotation of said stem with respect to the handle, but to allow the longitudinal displacement of the handle on the stem 1.

Key 19, when abutting one or the other of the shoulders defined by the ends 6 and 7 of keyway 5, determines the two limit positions of the handle on the stem and prevents separation of said handle from said stem.

The tool in accordance with the invention further includes a removable cap, generally indicated at 20, and also preferably made of synthetic resin, such as the external portion 15 of the handle, and which has an external diameter substantially equal to the central portion of the handle.

Cap 20 has a frusto-conical cavity adapted to fit over either one of the frusto-conical end surfaces 17 and 18 of the handle. Moreover, the inner surface of the cap cavity forms longitudinally extending radially inwardly directed lugs 21, which are diametrically opposed and which are adapted to fit within slots 17' or 18' at the two ends of the handle proper. Cap 20 is further provided at its center with a screw-threaded plug 22, made of metal and loosely rotatable carried by cap 20, but not removable from the same.

Plug 22 is adapted to threadedly engage either one of the threaded ends 12 and 13 of handle 2.

As shown in FIGURE 2, in the position of handle 2 secured at one end of stem 1, for example at the end formed by the smaller blade 4, key 19 abuts against the end shoulder 7 of keyway 5, and plug 22, which is screwed within end threads 13 of the handle, abuts against the small blade 4. Therefore, the stem 1 is positively prevented from displacement within handle 2 in the two longitudinal directions and, moreover, key 19 prevents relative rotation between the handle and the stern. Therefore, the screwdriver can be used as an ordinary screwdriver to drive, for example screws having a head of of an inch diameter and with a diametrical groove. For driving smaller screws, for example screws having a head of of an inch diameter, plug 22 is unscrewed and cap 3 20 removed from the handle and the handle 2 is then slid on stem 1 until key 19 abuts against the end shoulder 6 of keyway 5.

Cap 20 is fitted over the opposite end of the handle 2 and plug 22 is screwed in threads 12. Thus, the handle is rigidly secured to the other end of the stem and the small blade 4 can now be used.

Obviously, the stem could be provided at its two ends with coupling elements for screws with a square cavity or for screws having hexagonal heads, or provided with cross grooves, such as Allen screws and the like.

The stem 1 can be provided with the same type of blades, but of different sizes, or can be provided at its two ends with means for coupling with screws of difierent types.

Lugs 21 engaging slots 17' or 18 positively prevent rotation of cap 20 with respect to handle 2 or handle portion 15. Thus, a slight clearance may be provided betwen the frusto-conical surfaces 17 and 18 and the surface of the cavity of cap 20 for easy removal of the cap from the handle portion 15.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

'1. A rotary manual tool comprising a stem having at its two end means for coupling said stem with an element to be rotated, a handle having a through bore opening at the two ends of the handle, said bore receivingsaid stem, said handle displaceable along said stem, means for preventing rotation of said stem with respect to said handle, abutments near the two ends of said stem against which said handle abuts in its two limit positions along said stem, and a removable cap capable of being secured to one or the other of the two ends of said handle and against which abuts the end of said stem adjacent the abutment against which said handle abuts in one or the other of its limit positions, whereby said handle can be rigidly secured to said stem in one or the other of its two limit positions, and said handle cannot become separated from said stem.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle comprises a tubular inner lining defining said bore and an external cylindrical portion surrounding said inner lining and rigidly scured thereto, said inner screw threads formed at the two ends of said bore, said cap having a central inwardly protruding threaded plug adapted to be screwed in one or the other of said inner threads.-

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein said handle cylindrical external portion is formed with frusto-conical end surfaces, said cap having a frusto-conical cavity fitting over one or the other of the frusto-conical' end surfaces of said handle external portion.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 3, wherein said plug is rotatably mounted in said cap, but cannot be separated therefrom.

5. Atool as claimed in claim 4, further including lugs protruding from the frusto-conical surface of the cavity of said cap, the frusto-conical end surfaces of said handle external portion having slots for receiving said lugs to prevent rotation of said cap on said handle external portion. 7

6. A tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein said stem has a circular cross-section and is provided with a longitudinal keyway terminating short of the two ends of said stem,

said ends of said keyway forming said abutments, a key.

rigid with said handle and protruding within said bore and slidably engageable with said keyway, said key and said keyway forming said means to prevent rotation of said stem with respect to said handle, said key abutting against the respective ends of said keyway in one or the other of the two limit positions of said handle on said stem.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,632,489 3/1953 Johnson. 2,674,286 4/ 1954 Carson.

FOREIGN PATENTS 678,566 1/1964 Canada. 924,43 6 3 1955 Germany. 681,319 10/1952 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY MANUAL TOOL COMPRISING A STEM HAVING AT ITS TWO END MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID STEM WITH AN ELEMENT TO BE ROTATED, A HANDLE HAVING A THROUGH BORE OPENING AT THE TWO ENDS OF THE HANDLE, SAID BORE RECEIVING SAID STEM, SAID HANDLE DISPLACEABLE ALONG SAID STEM, MEANS FOR PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID STEM WITH RESPECT TO SAID HANDLE, ABUTMENTS NEAR THE TWO ENDS OF SAID STEM AGAINST WHICH SAID HANDLE ABUTS IN ITS TWO LIMIT POSITIONS ALONG SAID STEM, AND A REMOVABLE CAP CAPABLE OF BEING SECURED TO ONE OR THE OTHER OF THE TWO ENDS OF SAID HANDLE AND AGAINST WHICH ABUTS THE END OF SAID STEM ADJACENT THE ABUTMENT AGAINST WHICH SAID HANDLE ABUTS IN ONE OR THE OTHER OF ITS LIMIT POSITIONS, WHEREBY SAID HANDLE CAN BE RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID STEM IN ONE OR THE OTHER OF ITS TWO LIMIT POSITIONS, AND SAID HANDLE CANNOT BECOME SEPARATED FROM SAID STEM. 